Are Dental Implants Better than Natural Teeth?
“Dental implants are better than natural teeth, right?”At Southside Dental Implants in Brisbane this is a question we are often asked, so I thought I would debunk some of the misconceptions regarding this.
Firstly let me just say that dental implants are probably one of the most successful, most predictable forms of dental treatments available. Dental implant surgery conducted by an experienced, properly trained implant dentist/surgeon is generally not overly painful or traumatic.
Should a tooth that requires a lot of dental work be repaired or should it be replaced with a dental implant?
A well trained dentist would carefully look at the tooth involved and determine whether the treatment to save the tooth is likely to be successful. There are various factors an implant dentist would look at – gum health, bone availability, medical history, patient factors and how much tooth is left amongst other variables that may contribute to the outcome of the treatment.
If it is determined that the chance of success is high, often termed prognosis, then save your tooth! If the treatment required is likely to fail in the long-term, then dental implants are a great alternative.
There are many myths about dental implants floating around in cyberspace. Here are some that we wish to clear up that we have encountered when looking after patients who present in need of dental implants in Brisbane.
1. Dental implants don’t get gum disease
FALSE
Implants are susceptible to gum disease and can even be considered more susceptible according to some if the patient has a weak defense barrier. This is because when the defense is weak there is an increased chance of bacterial penetration down the collar of gum around the implant. In fact, patients with a history of gum disease around teeth are more likely to get gum disease around dental implants. (Heitz-Mayfield 2008). It’s important to treat active gum disease before receiving dental implant treatment.
2. Dental implants feel exactly like natural teeth
FALSE
It is true that dental implants are the closest thing to your natural teeth. But teeth have an increased sensation – often called proprioception. This refers to the feedback received through your brain via the various receptors within the periodontal ligament that holds your tooth in it’s socket. It is through proprioception with natural teeth that your brain has more accurate control over the amount of force you apply as you eat different things.
Although your dental implant may feel different to begin with, the sensation is nothing to worry about. Through our experience in looking after patients with dental implants in South Brisbane, we have noted that the odd sensation of a dental implant eventually withers away to normality as the patient’s adaptive reflexes adapt.
3. Implants can’t get holes in them
TRUE
The good news is that if you have a history of tooth decay implant teeth don’t decay. The implant tooth is not susceptible to the sugar/plaque/acid pathway that leads to holes in teeth so fillings will generally not be needed.
Southside Dental Implants Brisbane
At Southside Dental Implants here in South Brisbane when we meet someone in need of a dental implant they have often been given a referral for a tooth which has not been removed yet. The patient is sometimes apprehensive about extracting a tooth. Whatever your decision, rest assured that you are being looked after with your best interests in mind. Bear in mind that if you have been referred we will often liaison with the referring dentist to ensure you are getting the most appropriate treatment possible.
